Mahama backs Black Stars to win AFCON, World Cup with squad stability

July 18, 2026

• Nikki Samonas has returned to mainstream television as the new host of Joy Prime’s afternoon lifestyle and entertainment show, “Changes.”
• With nearly two decades of experience, she emphasizes her versatility while affirming acting remains her primary strength.
• Samonas aims to bring a free-spirited, fun, and light-hearted approach to her hosting, especially for Friday editions of the show.
• “Changes” is a magazine program that explores themes of resilience, personal growth, and transformation through human-centered stories.
• Nikki Samonas will host “Changes” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

July 18, 2026

• Patience Mbaye, a 41-year-old ward assistant, has been arraigned before an Accra court for an alleged recruitment scam targeting the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
• She is accused of collecting GH¢675,000 from 26 individuals under the pretext of securing their enlistment into the GAF.
• Her alleged accomplice, Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung (currently at large), is said to have collected GH¢1,005,000 from 47 other persons through similar false pretenses.
• Both are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences; Mbaye pleaded not guilty and was granted GH¢100,000 bail.
• The alleged scam involved collecting money via GCB Bank accounts between 2023 and 2024, with no recruitment facilitated and no refunds made.

July 18, 2026

• The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) dismantled an illegal mining (galamsey) operation at Ahwiren in the Bekwai Municipality, Ashanti Region.
• The intelligence-led raid disabled six excavators, destroyed four pumping engines, and recovered two Adler pump-action shotguns with 19 rounds of ammunition.
• The operation was taking place on approximately 20 acres of farmland along the headwaters of the Subin River, with miners diverting the natural watercourse.
• Investigators found that the operators lacked approval under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Environmental Development Scheme (rCOMSDEP) and were mining outside their application coordinates, raising community concerns about environmental destruction and proximity to public infrastructure.
• This action is part of intensified government efforts by security agencies to combat illegal mining in environmentally sensitive areas and major water bodies to protect Ghana's forests, farmlands, and river systems.